MONDAY’S PRETTY THINGS :: Cleaning and Organizing Inspiration (and a Confession)

Glass Hand Soap Bottle via Mrs. Meyer’s

As I sit down this afternoon to share the prettiest kind of cleaning and organizing inspiration with you, I have to be honest and say that sometimes when I clean, things get ugly.

You should have seen me in the kitchen earlier today. I decided to take apart the entire crisper drawer and lower shelf assembly inside the fridge, so I could give it a good scrubbing. That was fine. But putting it back together was another story, since all the parts disconnected from each other when I took them out of the fridge.

An hour later — sweating, frustrated, and nearly in tears — I finally managed to get everything back into place. (At one point I even downloaded the owner’s manual PDF from the manufacturer’s website. The only help it offered on the plastic piece in question? “Note: Be sure to replace center support before reinstalling glass shelf.” Gee, thanks!)

I’m not sure why I allow things like that to get me so riled up and frustrated. A whole lot of pride and indignation, I suppose, “I should be better at this! If this is still taken apart when Josiah gets home, I’ll be so embarrassed!” But it’s a ridiculous sort of thing to get angry about.

It’s just a fridge drawer (or rather, a series of pieces, which, when properly aligned, magically comprise a set of drawers.) And contrary to the arbitrary pressures I put on myself constantly — news flash! — I don’t actually have to be good at everything (like making crisper drawers out of puzzling plastic parts.) I don’t have to be an expert at all the things. I don’t have to be an expert at all. And I don’t have to be perfect.

Now why is that such a hard lesson for me to learn?

Organized Swedish pantry via Jordgubbar Med Mjolk

Wicker laundry basket via Crate & Barrel

Coffee art print via Billy & Scarlet

Towels and soap via the portfolio of Johanna Pilfalk

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